Michigan city defends itself against accusations of favoring Muslim holidays over other faiths

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The city of Dearborn responded Saturday to a lawsuit accusing it of celebrating Muslim holidays and ignoring religious holidays of other faiths by blaming attacks against it on its diversity and “welcoming nature.”

A statement from the Detroit suburb issued by a spokesperson came in response to a lawsuit on Thursday that accused the city and its mayor of spending thousands of dollars to celebrate Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish holidays.

The lawsuit in federal court revived complaints about city government that arose a year ago after the Dearborn mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, told Ted Barham, a local pastor, that he was not welcome in the city and he would stage a parade when he left.

The lawsuit by Margot Cleveland, a journalist for The Federalist, accused the city and its mayor, a Democrat, of favoring the Muslim faith over other religious beliefs in a city with a population of over 100,000 people that is majority Arab American.

It said the city for too long “has been a hostile place for Christians and Jews.”

And it added that “Hammoud has taken this hostility to the next level, openly conveying the message that Christians and Jews are not welcome in the city and are, indeed, second-class citizens.”

In its statement Saturday, the city responded by saying it “has a longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of faith or background.

“Our city has increasingly come under attack precisely because of its welcoming nature and the diversity of the people who proudly call Dearborn home,” the statement said.

It added: “That will not change who we are. Dearborn will continue to uphold the rights and dignity of every resident and remain a city where everyone is treated with fairness, respect, and equal protection under the law.”

The lawsuit sought unspecified damages and asked a judge to find that the city had violated the Constitution and order it to comply with the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.

According to the lawsuit, the city of Dearborn last year spent $1,500 of public money on Ramadan banners and $5,000 on a crescent-moon symbol displayed in its Peace Park while its police department sold Ramadan-themed shirts bearing the official department emblem.

Yet, the lawsuit said, the city failed to mark the approach of the Christian holiday of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover in similar fashion.

When Cleveland complained and asked that other religious holidays be honored, she was repeatedly ignored, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit noted the September 2025 clash at a City Council meeting between Hammoud and Barham, saying the mayor spoke against the pastor after Barham criticized the city for naming a street after Osama Siblani, who it said had supported organizations designated as terrorist by the U.S. government.

Barham said it was “quite inappropriate” and that it would be like naming a street “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street.”

Media reports about the City Council clash led to a November rally in Dearborn that attracted conservative influencers including Cam Higby and Jake Lang.

Hammoud told The Guardian for an article published in November: “People misconstrue my words and my frustration with an individual who is a bad faith actor in our community, and apply it to a whole faith, when everyone knows the city of Dearborn is a place where everyone is welcome — Christian or Jew or whatever your background.”